Back to browse
75% Critic Match
Dark Night, October 17, 1961
7.5 / 10• 2005• 2h 0m•NR• French
TV MovieDramaHistory
Storyline
Parisian authorities clash with the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) in director Alain Tasma’s recounting of one of the darkest moments of the Algerian War of Independence. As the war wound to a close and violence persisted in the streets of Paris, the FLN and its supporters adopted the tactic of murdering French policemen in hopes of forcing a withdrawal. When French law enforcement retaliated by brutalizing Algerians and imposing a strict curfew, the FLN organizes a peaceful demonstration that drew over 11,000 supporters, resulting in an order from the Paris police chief to take brutal countermeasures. Told through the eyes of both French policemen as well as Algerian protestors, Tasma’s film attempts to get to the root of the tragedy by presenting both sides of the story.
Cast & Crew
Ouassini Embarek
Abdé
Lead
Atmen Kelif
Tarek
Abdelhafid Metalsi
Ali Saïd
Hocine Choutri
Ahmed
Mounir Margoum
Mohamed
Ahcène Nini
Le réfractaire
Jalil Naciri
Maurice
Salem Kali
L'Algérien au barrage
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Alain Tasma's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Dark Night, October 17, 1961 is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
